Now, let’s see how you can do a backup of your PST file.

• PST File – Manual Copy

Copying the PST file to another location is the easiest way to copy that file. Here repair pst file you will learn how to repair your PST file. Under Windows XP, this file is located at:

C:/Documents and Settings/%username%/Local Settings/Application Data/Microsoft/Outlook/

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, this location is:

C:/Users/%username%/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Outlook/

Then you have to copy the above located file to: another file, or folder, or an external hard disk, or an USB flash drive, or a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

In case of some system crash so to restore the data, open your Outlook, go to ‘File’ – ‘Data File Management’ and click the ‘Data File’ tab. Check here pst file backup to learn how to backup pst file, and here  corrupt pst file repair how to repair corrupt pst file. Search for your file that you backup and open it.

• To use the PST file from somewhere else

The moment your Windows will crash, be aware that files and folders on the C drive will become compromised. A good thing to do is to move your PST file to another drive than the one you’re using. Then simpy set the Outlook path for the file to that other drive. In order to do that, close your Outlook, move your PST file from the above folder then start again Outlook, browse to go to the new location when you do see the prompt.

It is also a good idea to rename the old Outlook file with a different extension so that you can restore it in case something happens to the relocated file.

• Import and Export

Microsoft Outlook contains a feature that allows users to export their personal folders and re-import them later. With this method, you can export your PST file to a secure (and different) location on your hard drive. Then later, you can reimport it, in case, let’s say, of a system crash. In order to export the PST file: in Outlook, go to ‘File’ – ‘Import and Export’. In the dialogue box that comes up, choose ‘Export to a File’. In the next window that comes up, choose ‘Personal Folder File (.pst)’. On the following dialog box, choose the folders you need to export. Always keep the ‘Include subfolders’ checkbox set to be sure that all your folders, and subfolders, are included in the exported file. On the following window, select a filename for the exported file, then navigate to its new location.

To import from the backed up file, go to ‘File’ – ‘Import and Export’, then choose ‘Import from another program or file’ from the Dialogue box. After that, select ‘Personal Folder File (.pst)’. Navigate to your backup file then import it. Once done, Outlook will get all the previous settings found in your old file.

• How to use the add-in part of the PST file backup

Thanks to Microsoft, there is a free add-in part of Outlook that with a single click permits you to easily backup your PST file. That add-in is called ‘Personal Folders Backup’, from Microsoft. You simply have to download and install it. You will then get a new option (“Backup”) on your ‘File’ menu. With this nice add-in, you can backup the files and folders you really want to besides how many times and when (the frequency) of such backups.